Active command line driven user interface

Abstract

A method of interacting with an electronic device and an electronic device so configured are described. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of interacting with an electronic device. A command line having an input field is displayed on a display of the electronic device. An input string is received in the input field. The input string is disambiguated into one or more commands which match the input string. Each matching command is displayed on the display each as an entry in a command list. In some embodiments, each entry in the command list is selectable in response to selection input.

1 . A method of interacting with an electronic device, comprising:
 displaying on a display of the electronic device a command line having an input field;   receiving an input string in the input field;   disambiguating the input string into one or more commands which match the input string; and   displaying on the display each matching command as an entry in a command list.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input string in the input field is disambiguated into one or more commands each having at least a first command parameter. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the input string includes at least two command parameters, command parameters are delimited by a connector linking a preceding command parameter and a subsequent command parameter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein commands, command parameters and connectors are each delimited by a space character. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each connector defines a relationship between the preceding command parameter and the subsequent command parameter. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the input string includes a string sequence which matches at least two of possible command parameters and possible connectors, the method further comprises displaying an entry in the command list for each possibility. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a command name is disambiguated from multiple command names for each command, the multiple command names comprising a proper command name and one or more command aliases. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 highlighting a command in the command list in response to a navigational input;   selecting a highlighted command in the command list in response to a selection input; and   populating the input field in the command line with the selected command.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a highlighted command in the command list when activation input is received.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when the input string in the input field matches a command name, the displayed command list includes an entry comprising the command name and a command parameter syntax for each syntax of the command parameter to be entered. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein context information is used when disambiguating the input string in the input field. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the command line is invokable and the context information comprises an application which was active when the command line was invoked. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the command line is invokable and the context information comprises selected text in a user interface screen displayed on the display from which the command line was invoked, the disambiguating comprises disambiguating the input string in the input field into one or more commands with the selected text set as a value of a command parameter for each of the one or more commands. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the disambiguating comprises disambiguating the input string in the input field into one or more commands associated with an application which was active when the command line was invoked. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when multiple commands match the input in the input field, entries in the command list are sorted in a descending order of predicted likelihood of use based on usage statistics stored on the electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when multiple commands match the input in the input field, determining a predicted likelihood of use of each matching command based on usage statistics stored on the electronic device, and automatically selecting the matching command having a highest predicted likelihood of use.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when multiple commands match the input in the input field, determining a predicted likelihood of use of each matching command based on usage statistics stored on the electronic device, filtering the matching commands in accordance with the predicted likelihood, and displaying only matching commands having a predicted likelihood which exceeds a threshold likelihood in the command list.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 automatically completing a command parameter of at least one of the one or more commands based predetermined criteria;   wherein each matching command is displayed in the command list on the display as an entry with any automatically completed command parameter.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein automatically completing comprises automatically completing a command parameter based on a default value for the command parameter in the absence of input for the command parameter in the input field. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein automatically completing comprises automatically completing a command parameter based on input in the input field and a set of allowed values for command parameter. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein automatically completing comprises automatically completing a command parameter based on input in the input field and a set of available values for command parameter. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein automatically completing comprises automatically completing a command parameter with a value from a data source accessible to the electronic device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the command parameter is automatically completed with the value from a data object stored on the electronic device when the input in the input field matches data in the data object. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the command operates upon one or more particular data object types, wherein the command parameter is automatically completed with the name from a data object of the one or more particular data object types which the command operates upon. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the command parameter operates upon one or more particular data object types, wherein the command parameter is automatically completed with the name from a data object of the one or more particular data object types which the command operates parameter upon. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein automatically completing comprises automatically completing a command parameter based on a value of a prior command parameter. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically completing a command name being input in the input field with a selected command in the command list in response to selection input when the command name is selected. 
     
     
         28 . A method of interacting with an electronic device, the method comprising:
 displaying on a display of the electronic device a command line having an input field for receiving an input string;   filtering commands in accordance with context information to produce a command or number of commands which match the context information; and   displaying on the display each matching command as an entry in a command list, wherein each entry in the command list is selectable in response to selection input.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the command line is invokable and the context information comprises selected text in a user interface screen displayed on the display from which the command line was invoked. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the command line is invokable and the context information comprises an application which was active when the command line was invoked. 
     
     
         31 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a processor;   a display electrically coupled with the processor;   the electronic device configured for: displaying on a display of the electronic device a command line having an input field, receiving an input string in the input field; disambiguating the input string into a command or number of commands which match the input string, and displaying on the display each matching command as an entry in a command list.